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Ray (pronounced ‘Rye’ in Irish, Ráith), is an ancient church site remarkable for its links with the abbey of Iona, and for its very tall high cross – 5.56m, one of the tallest if not the tallest in Ireland. The church stands on the east bank or the river Ray and near its estuary. From the 6th to the 8th centuries the river was a boundary between two small kingdoms, the Cineál Duach on the east of the river and the Cineál Lughdach on the west.

In the 7th century no fewer than four very important abbots of Iona came from the Cineál Duach. Almost certainly, this was their home church. The great high cross now stands inside the ruins which date mainly from the 17th century. As there is no decoration on the cross itself it is difficult to date it but it bears a striking similarity to the form and scale of St John’s Cross on Iona (of about AD 775) – arguably the oldest of the ringed (so-called ‘Celtic’) stone crosses in these islands – and may be contemporary with it. An elaborate legend says that the Ray cross was made on Muckish mountain for St Colmcille who intended to bring it to Tory Island but gave it instead as a gift to the local saint, Fionán, who had miraculously retrieved the Colmcille’s lost gospel book. In modern times, until recently, the cross – fallen and broken – lay in the adjoining graveyard probably at or close to its original location.

Local legend says that Colmcille stood on this hill – Cnoc na Naomh – with his companions Saints Fionán, Dubthach and Begley.

As they stood here above Magheraroarty, they discussed who would have the task of converting the Tory islanders to Christianity.

They decided to answer the question by throwing their croziers. Whoever threw his crozier as far as the island would carry out the conversion.

Two landed near Falcarragh, another on Inis Dubthaigh (Inishdooey Island) and Colmcille’s crozier landed on Tory, winning him the reward of converting the islanders. His crozier is said to have formed a crater on Tory’s northeast cliffs.

Cnoc na Naomh translates as hill of the saints.

Local tradition says that when Colmcille first arrived at Tory island he was met by the local king Oilill who refused to let him land.

Colmcille asked if he could simply have a piece of land the same size as his cloak on which he could build his monastery. Oilill agreed but when Colmcille laid his cloak on the ground it miraculously spread to cover the whole island.

The king was so angry that he set his poisoned dog on Colmcille but the saint made the sign of the cross and the dog leapt into the sea to escape the blessing.

As he leapt to his death, the dog left his footprints on one rock and split another with his tail.

These are the only chapel remains on Tory Island. In Irish this place is called Móirsheisear which translates as ‘big number six’ and which is an old Irish word for the number seven.

Islanders tell the story that the site is the tomb of seven people who drowned when their boat was wrecked off the island’s northwest coast at Scoilt Móirsheisear. There was only one woman among the seven and she was buried alongside the men. However, in the morning the woman’s body was found on top of the grave so she was re-buried in a separate plot. This story is the explanation for the small enclosure near the chapel.

It is believed that clay taken from under the woman’s grave has the power to keep ships and boats free of rats. But the clay can only be collected by the oldest member of the Duggan family living on Tory.

There is an altar at the east end of the building and a bullaun stone – which would have contained holy water – near the entrance.

The stone altar of St Brigid lies between the islanders’ houses. On top of the altar are three quern stones (used for grinding corn) and two granite slabs.

As well as Ulaí Bhríde there are remains of two other small chapels – or oratories – on the island. At one time there may have been as many as seven.

Because they were used for grinding corn, quern stones were placed in the island’s chapels as a way of ensuring that Tory would have a plentiful supply of food.

A stone chalice said to have been used by Colmcille and found on the island is now in the Raphoe Diocesan Archive.

This altar dedicated to St John the Baptist is just beside the Bell Tower. There are a number of stones here – including a stone trough, decorated stones and slabs, a quern (millstone) and the remains of the base of a cross. It is said that the hollow stones were used to hold holy water. The individual pieces may have been collected in different parts of the island and brought together here in the past.

The altar was rebuilt and probably moved slightly in the 20th century.

The Bell Tower is the only surviving round tower in Donegal. Although it’s nearly 13 metres tall, it is among the smallest of these towers in Ireland. Its date is not known but could be as late as the 12th century.

The granite stones used to make the tower would have been found on local beaches.

The tower is associated with the monastic settlement on Tory. It originally had three floors and might have also been used as a look-out tower for the islanders.

Clog Cholm Cille – Colmcille’s bell – was hung in the tower until the late 18th century when it was removed after the tower was damaged by lightening. The bell has been missing since the 19th century.

The graveyard is believed to be on the site of an Teampull Buí which was the main church of a former monastery on Tory.

An early Ordnance Survey map shows the remains of ‘St Columkille’s church’ in the southwest corner of the graveyard although no remains are visible today.

There are many traditions about Colmcille and Tory Island but there are no documents which confirm the stories. The first records of the island date from the 7th century.

Legend says that Colmcille came to Tory in the 6th century to convert the islanders to Christianity and that the waters of Tory Sound opened for him to pass safely from the mainland.

As you arrive in Tory the first site to greet you is the Tau Cross. Sitting high on a plinth, the T-shaped stone cross is a symbol of the island’s Christian heritage.

The cross is thought to date from early medieval times and is carved from one piece of mica slate stone. It is 1.9m tall and 1.1m wide. Mica slate isn’t found on the island so the cross was probably made elsewhere and brought to the island.

Local tradition says that in the 17th century one of Cromwell’s soldiers attempted to break the cross with his sword – an explanation of the two marks on the face of the cross… it is more likely that the marks occurred naturally.

The symbol of the tau cross dates from before Christian times and it was known and used by the Egyptians. Tau is the name of the Greek letter of the same shape.

There are only two Irish stone tau crosses – the other is more elaborate and comes from Kilnaboy – Cill Inine Baoith – County Clare.